


One Day

by ben_wyattt



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - No Band, Alternate Universe - Teachers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Loss of Parent(s), M/M, Marriage, Slice of Life, Unresolved Romantic Tension, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-27
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-07-18 11:51:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7314136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ben_wyattt/pseuds/ben_wyattt
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on David Nicholls' novel, One Day</p><p>Luke and Ashton are from different worlds, but they ,meet on the night they both graduate from university. We see them one day a year, July 15th, every year. Sometimes they are together, sometimes they are apart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

By the time Ashton and Ashley stumble out of the pub it’s dark, gone midnight.Ashton still can’t believe that they’re with Luke. Luke Hemmings. They had been drinking and laughing with Luke Hemmings, someone who - until now - Ashton only knew from stolen glances from the back of a lecture hall. Luke’s friend Brian was with them, although Ashley had been monopolising his attention for most of the night.

 

When they’d started there had been a whole crowd of them. Most of the people from their course had packed into a little pub on the corner of the Royal Mile, on a post-graduation high, giddy from cheap champagne and freedom. Now Ashton, Luke and their friends were the last four standing.

 

The four of them trip down the cobbles of the Mile, graduation robes tangling around their feet, and caps lopsided on their head. It doesn’t take long for Ashley to leech herself onto Brian. The two of them stop, lips connected, hands all over each other. Ashton and Luke hover, a little awkwardly, a few paces in front them.

 

“We’ve um…we’ve neveractually met?” Luke says, conversationally, keen to eradicate some of the awkwardness.

“Actually we have.” Ashton says, a little blunt.

“We have?”

“At Nia’s New Years Eve party. You spent the evening calling me Jamie, and then threw up on my shoes.”

“How charming of me.”

“Yep.”

“So if you’re not Jamie?”

“I’m Ashton”

“Ashton.”

“Ashton Irwin.”

“I’m Luke.”

“I know.”

“Listen…Let me walk you home?”

 

Ashton is quiet for a moment. He weighs up his options, casting a guilty look towards Ashley. She is still attached to Brian by the mouth, she won’t notice he’s gone.

 

“Yeah okay.” Ashton says, taking the champagne bottle from Luke’s hand swigging from it.

“Lead the way” Luke says, with a smile which scrunches up his nose.

 

Ashton leads them off onto a side street. They walk in silence for a few moments. The thick quiet weighing down on them makes Ashton nervous. He worries that Luke is going to regret his offer to walk him home.

 

“So…” Ashton says, keen to fill up the silence. “Plans now we’ve graduated?”

“I’m not sure. Don’t really want to get tied down to one thing, you know? Probably going to travel, Thailand or India or somewhere, really figure out who I am you know?”

“Jesus christ.” Ashton says, shaking his head.

“What?” Luke asks.

“It’s just a bit predictable, Luke. I mean - finding yourself in Thailand - it’s not very original.”

“Okay, what are you going todo that’s so original, Ashton Irwin?”

“I’m moving to London.”

Luke lets out a little scoff.

“Shut up. Me and Ashley are going to get a flat in London. She wants to get into music, I want to be a writer, so you know, go where the money is.”

“Very original.”

“Alright, Thailand.”

Luke lets out a soft laugh.

 

Ashton stops walking, turning to face Luke. Luke is much closer than he was expecting.

 

“It’s been a wild ride, Ashton Irwin.” Luke says, flashing a smile that makes Ashton’s heart shiver a little bit.

“Yep, well this is um, this is me, so I’m just going to…”

Before Ashton can ramble on any further Luke catches his lips in a kiss. The kiss is a lot of tongue and teeth, and Ashton is pretty sure he’s getting something wrong. It’s quite a while before they pull apart.

 

“Do you want to come upstairs?” Ashton asks, taken over by a sudden wave of confidence.

“Why not.” Luke says, with that smile which scrunches up his nose.

Ashton’s hands are shaking as he tries to get the key into the lock. Eventually the door clicks open, and he pushes through it, leading Luke up a narrow staircase.

 

“So…welcome to chez Irwin.” Ashton says with a awkward snort of a laugh.

 

The flat is everything Luke was expecting. Every surface seems to be covered in some kind of ugly, hand knitted blanket. The wall is covered in CND posters, and flyers from various strikes, and rallies. On one wall there is a big blown up print of a _Dykes to Watch Out For_ comic strip. And Ashton, in his doc martens, his weathered corduroy jacket, the national health specs which are a little bit too big for his face; he looks like an extension of the room. Luke pulls him close, kissing him for a second time. It’s great, kissing is always great. If Luke had to choose just one activity for the rest of his life he would choose kissing, or maybe fucking. He lets Ashton push his graduation gown off his shoulders, and tentatively dips his fingers under the waistband of his stonewashed jeans. Ashton pulls away.

“Just…I just need a minute.” He says, slightly breathless. “Just want to brush my teeth. All the booze and the fags, I taste awful.”

“I don’t care” Luke says, keen to get back to kissing.

“I do.” Ashton says, as he flicks the record player in the corner on. Tracy Chapman trickles out of the ancient speakers, Luke can’t help but roll his eyes. “Just make yourself comfortable.”

 

Ashton locks himself on the other side of the bathroom door. He takes moment to splash some water in his face, and then stares at himself in the mirrored cabinet.

“Do not fuck this up.” He says, sternly, to his reflection.

Ashton almost doesn’t want to ever leave the bathroom, but he takes a deep breath, and steels himself. He shucks of his jeans, and shirt, leaving him in just his boxers. He chucks his graduation robe over his shoulders and sticks his cap on at a jaunty angle, it’s a move he thinks is sexy in a -flirty, not taking myself too seriously- way.

 

Ashtonpushes the bathroom door open and is greeted with the sight of Luke gathering up his scattered belonging. He was planning to sneak out.Ashton immediately feels ridiculous, pulling his robe around himself, desperate to cover his modesty.

“Oh you’re going?”

“Well it’s late, and I just thought, you didn’t”

“No it’s fine, you sneak off.”

“No, that wasn’t, I wasn’t…”

“No it’s fine, I get it.You get a better offer?”

“No. Look I’ll stay.” Luke says wriggling out of his trousers and climbing back into the bed.

“No, it’s stupid. The moments ruined now.”

“Well as friends then?” Luke says, that scrunched up smile back on his face. He pulls the duvet back, patting the space next to him.

“As friends?” Ashton asks, shakily.

“Friends.”

Ashton thinks for a minute.

“Well it looks like I’m not going to be able to get shut of you now.”

He sheds his robe and cap and pulls on a ratty old Led Zeppelin shirt. Once he’s burrowed down into the bed Luke wraps an arm around his waist. They lie in a comfortable silence for a few moments.

 

“It’s July 15th…St Swithun’s Day.” Luke says eventually, apropos of nothing.

“How do you even know that?” Ashton asks.

“Well St. Swithun was buried at Winchester Cathedral, which is where I went to school.”

“You are so unbelievably posh.” Ashton says, shaking his head.

“There’s a poem.” Luke continues, ignoring Ashton’s comment. “If on St Swithun’s it should rain….something…something….something…remain.”

Ashton turns round, looking Luke dead in the eye.

“That’s beautiful, Luke.” He says, with this serious look on his face.

“Shut up.”

They are quiet again for a moment.

“If it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” Ashton says “Do you want to do something?”

“Yeah okay.” Luke says, nuzzling into Ashton’s hair.

It’s not long before they are both asleep.


	2. 15th July 1998

15th July 1998

 

Ashton loves Luke, he really does, but spending 5 hours crammed ina van together is really testing their friendship to the limits.As they creep into the 5th hour Luke starts rapping along (badly) to an N.W.A album, and Ashton is going to throw him out onto the motorway.

“I swear to god Luke. I will throw you out of this van.”

“You can’t drive, good luck getting to London without me.” Luke laughs.

Ashton groans, resting his head against the cold window and trying to block Luke out.

“Come on Ash, get into it” Luke says, over the music. “N.W.A are the voice of our generation.”

“Oh right, you’ve got a lot in common with N.W.A have you?” Ashton laughs. “Do they have a small mansion in Surrey, or do you suffer daily police brutality.”

“It’s not a mansion, it’s just a house.”

“You have a chapel in your garden, Luke.”

Luke laughs at that, and turns down the music.

“You’ve made quite the impression on my dad.”

“That’ll happen when you call someone a facist.” Ashton grimaces. “God, I need you to tell him, again, that I am sorry.”

“It’s fine” Luke laughs. “He said you were spirited, then he asked if your dad was a miner.”

Ashton barks out a laugh.

“Yeah, yeah he is, and he had me down the pits with him from the age of four.” He says sarcastically.

“That’s what I told him”

“There isn’t even a bloody coal mine in Skipton, and if there was, it would have been shut down ten years ago.”

“My dad thinks everything north of Birmingham is one big coal mine. And Wales, he doesn’t know where the people live in Wales, think he just assumes they fashion themselves little beds out of the coal.”

 

Ashton loves the laughter bubbling up inside him.

 

“Do you have to go to Rome?” He asks, after a moment of quiet. “I could really do with a southerner to look after me.”

“Ashton Irwin! You don’t need some softy southerner to protect you.” Luke laughs. “And Ashley’ll keep an eye on you.”

“Ashley will be as much use as a chocolate fire guard. From what I can tell she has spent the last 6 months getting too emotionally attached to one night stands.”

“Hey, a one night stand is an excellent way to find a soulmate”

“Seriously though.” Ashton says, quietly “Don’t bugger off to Europe to find yourself, all you’re going to find is rude people, and cheese, probably a lot of cheese.”

“I quite like cheese.” Luke laughs.

 

They go quiet for the rest of the journey, most of their attention taken up by navigating the impenetrable warren which is the North Circular ring road. They eventually find the crumbling little street of town houses, split up into much too small apartments.

 

“Looks nice” Ashton says brightly.

“Looks asbestos filled.” Luke laughs.

“Thanks for your positivity, Luke.” Ashton laughs, getting out of the van.

Luke climbs down from the van, joining Ashton round the back.

“Right, grab a box.” Ashton smiles, taking one of the cardboard boxes himself.

“Fucking hell, Ash!” Luke complains as he picks up the next box. “”What have you got in here? Bricks?”

“Never done a days work in your life, have you Luke?” Ashton teases as they head up to the flat.

“You build all your muscles down the coal mines, did you?” Luke laughs. Ashton just nods, carrying his box inside.

 

There’s no lift. There’s no fucking lift and Luke thinks he might cry. He tries to ignore the steady burn in his biceps as he carries the box up to Ashton’s 4th floor flat. He’s really starting to wonder why he offered to help Luke move, he’s far too nice.

The flat itself is terrible. The main smell is onions, but there is also a bit of mildew hovering underneath. Ashley’s underwear, once white but now washed out grey, is strung up to dry across the living room. There’s something purple behind the boiler, probably an exotic damp-asbestos hybrid. Ashton is in his element though. Luke watches him bustle around, finding spaces for his Suzanne Vega records and is CND posters, he looks alive, illuminated.

“I”m in London, Luke.” He grins “I’m doing it, I’ve actually managed it.”

“Proud of you.” Luke smiles, sincerely.

“Come on” Ashton says, brushing past what has the potential to become an emotional moment. “We’ve got to get my bed in yet.”

Luke gulps, how the fuck is he going to get a double bed up those bloody stairs.

 

It doesn’t take them as long as Luke thought it would to get Ashton’sstuff in his room.

 

“Me and Ashley are going to go for drinks, you know, to celebrate. Come with us?” Ashton smiles.

 

The idea of spending any more time than necessary with Ashton’s roommate - who has spent most of the time Luke has been there asking if he will give his friend Brian her phone number, Luke has seen Brian since just once after graduation- makes Luke’s palms kind of clammy.

 

“I need to shoot off Actually.” He says softly. “My flight leaves in two hours.”

“Still don’t think you should go.” Ashton pouts.

“I’ve got a job there, Ash.”

Ashton rolls his eyes.

“You’d better bloody write to me.” Ashton says.

“I will.”

“Proper letters, no two lines, wish you were here, postcard shit”

“Okay…okay, I will send you essays.”

Ashton laughs.

“Give me a hug you idiot.” Ashton says pulling Luke into a hug. “And Luke…”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t fuck any of your students…it’s such a fucking cliche.”

Luke snorts.

“I’ll see you soon, yeah?’

“Yeah” Ashton nods.

Luke disappears down the stairs, and Ashton gets this weird heavy feeling in his chest, knowing he isn’t going to see the other boy for at least 6 months.

“You are so in love with him, it’s ridiculous.” Ashley says, from where she is sat cross legged on the floor, re-spooling a cassette tape.

“M’not.” Ashton mutters, busying himself with unpacking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm getting properly going with this again now. I think it works so much better with Lashton so I'm super inspired and excited to write it. 
> 
> I've said this before an not kept my promises, but I have a lot of free time over the next two of three months so hopefully updates will be pretty regular.
> 
> Please comment, nothing motivates me to post more than getting notes.
> 
> hmu on tumblr: officialmalumtrash


	3. July 15th 1999

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ashton has a shit job, Luke is in Paris.

“Hi, my name’s Ashton, I’ll be your server tonight, can I get you started with some drinks.” Ashton says, false smile plastered on his face. He’s in the 7th hour of an 8-hour shift, he feels like his feet are going to literally fall off. The table is occupied by a kind of snobby looking family of four. Ashton hates this kind of table, they’ll be really demanding, and they won’t tip.He listens, and jots down the drink they ask for, trying hard to filter out the noise of the crying baby.

“What’s the difference between a fajita and burrito?” the dad asks.

Ashton takes a deep breath, before launching into his spiel.

“Flour based flat breads are called tortillas, fill them with chicken or ground beef - that’s a fajita, top it with melted cheese - thats an enchilada, deep fry it - that's a burrito. If you use a corn tortilla then it’s a taco.”

The dad looks no more clear on the difference. Ashton doesn’t really care.

 

He walks back to the kitchen where his manager, Jamie, a lad a couple of years older than him who drives a Peugeot 107 with a spoiler on the back, taps him on the shoulder.

“Ash, you’ll show the new kid the ropes, right?” he asks.

“Yeah, no problem,” Ashton says through gritted teeth, thinking about the seven busy tables in his section.

“This is Mikey,” Jamie says, pushing a lanky kid with a messy shock of dyed red hair towards him.

“It’s um…it’s Michael actually.” The kid says. No one takes any notice.

“Come on then, let's give you the grand tour,” Ashton says, leading Michael into the kitchen. “Welcome to the graveyard of ambition.”

Michael laughs politely.

“So what’s your stroke?” Ashton asks.

“My…my what?” Michael says.

“Your stroke, you know, waiter-stroke-actor, waiter-stroke-writer, waiter-stroke-musician.”

“Oh…um…I dabble in a bit of stand-up comedy. You know, observational stuff, I’m doing this whole bit about the differences between men and women.”

“Well, we could all do with a laugh around here,” Ashton says, cutting him off.

“So what about you? What’s your stroke?” Michael asks.

“I’m just a waiter,” Ashton says briskly.“So this is the kitchen, what these guys can’t do with a microwave and some grated cheese! Steer clear of the prawns.”

Michael nods, not really taking in any of what Ashton is saying.

“I’ve um…I’m actually doing an open mic night tomorrow, at the laugh factory. You could come along if you want.” Michael says.

“Thanks for the offer, but I’m doing a double shift,” Ashton says briskly. “Look, I’ve got to get back to my section. I’ll love you forever if you clean the toilets.” He hands Michael a mop bucket.

“Can do,” Michael says brightly, trying not to care that Ashton just completely brushed him off.

 

Ashton isn’t sure he’s actually still alive when he finishes his shift. He stops at a phone box on the way home, feeding it full of 10 pence pieces and dialling the number he has for Luke.

“Luke Hemmings.” The voice on the other end says.

“It’s me you idiot.” Ashton laughs.

“Hey Ash, how’s London’s finest Mexican eatery?”

“Shut up I hate you” Ashton laughs, feeling better just for hearing Luke’s voice. “How’s Paris?”

“Oh you know, beautiful places, beautiful food, beautiful people.”

Ashton can hear the smirk in Luke’s voice.

“Oh god, you’re sleeping with your students aren’t you?” he asks.

“Define sleeping.”

“You are a disgrace, Luke Robert Hemmings,” Ashton says, but he’s laughing.

“I went to that house you told me to, in your letter,” Luke says. “The writer place.”

“Victor Hugo’s house?”

“That’s the one.”

“How was it, was it amazing.”

“It was a museum, it was fine.”

“Paris is wasted on you,” Ashton says.

“I’ll bring you here one day.”

“No thanks, I can’t think of anyone I want to go to Paris with less.”

“Charming” Luke laughs. “Look I’ve got to go, I’m meeting Mum and Dad for dinner.”

“Give them my love,” Ashton says.

“I will. Talk to you soon.”

“Sure. Bye Lu.”

“Bye Ash.”

The pips sound and Ashton is cut off before they can say anything else.

 

Luke stretches back on his bed, watching the pretty, blonde girl he picked up last night roll around his bed in her underwear.

“You need to leave,” He says casually. “I’ve got a family thing.”

She huffs but pulls on her dress and leaves.

Luke showers away the night before and heads out into Paris to meet his mother.

 

Liz looks at home in Paris, her effortless elegance means she always has. Luke smiles and waves at her from across the square. She waves back. She’s lost weight since the last time he saw her. Worry twists in Luke’s stomach. He heads over and sits opposite her.

“Darling, you look wonderful.” She smiles.

“So do you,” Luke says. “Have you ordered?”

“Not yet, thought we’d better wait for your father to get here, you know how fussy he can be.”

Luke lets out a little laugh and nods. “How is he?”

“Same as always, you know your father, unchanging as the sea.”

“Ashton sends his love.”

“The boy from university?”

“That’s the one.”

“Oh, I’ve always liked him,” Liz smiles. “He riles your father up something rotten.”

Luke laughs, then falls quiet, sipping from the glass of white wine in front of him.

“How did the tests go?” He asks eventually.

“Oh, it’s fine. It’s nothing.” Liz says. Luke fixes her with a doubtful look.

“I've got to in for a biopsy next week, and they’re going to remove what they think might be a tumour, but it’s nothing.” She says.

“Do you want me to come home?” Luke says quietly.

“No don’t be silly, you’re enjoying yourself here, and you’ve got your teaching thing. We’re fine. I’m fine.”

Liz catches sight of Luke’s dad crossing the courtyard. He’s a vision, in too big khaki short, and a winning socks and sandals combo.

“Here he comes; Alain de Botton” Liz says with a wry little grin. Luke laughs fondly.

“I’d better be able to get a proper bloody steak at this place,”Andy grumbles as he sits down with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, there has been such a long dry spell, the writer's block has been incredibly real. 
> 
> Thank you for sticking by me frens.
> 
> hmu on tumblr: officialmalumtrash

**Author's Note:**

> So I did post a different version of this, but I didn't like how the pairings worked out, so I'm trying again.
> 
> Even though the boys are Australian, this is set in the UK, because class divisions work in a very British way in the novel and I didn't want to mess that up too much. Luke is from the Home Counties, Ash is from Skipton in Yorkshire. Imagine accents as appropriate.


End file.
